@Anonymous wrote:
@CFPartDeux
I don't. Never have. Computer guy, computer tech, tech guy, IT guy etc.
Duckduckgo - define geek - comes up first with a definition box
A person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy.
A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.
Those feel derogatory to me.
The same with nerd adds:
I can't know if I'm intellectual but I have an introverted tendency so not too far from me but the definition also had the two above.
So no never have referred to myself using these terms and for those reasons.
@Anonymous
I turned the tablet sideways for this.....admittedly I have never looked up the definition of geek or nerd in the dictionary. Given those definitions I can clearly see everyone's point on the term being insulting. That was never my intention and as @Tiana_V would say I will be more mindful of my use of the English vocabulary especially when injecting my brand of humour in the forums. Along with the definition in a traditional dictionary here are the more cultural definitions referred to by @CFPartDeux ....
From wikipedia:
The word geek is a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit, with a general pejorative meaning of a "peculiar person, especially one who is perceived to be overly intellectual, unfashionable, boring, or socially awkward".[1]
Some use the term self-referentially without malice or as a source of pride,
[2] often referring simply to "someone who is interested in a subject (usually intellectual or complex) for its own sake". Nonetheless, it remains a pejorative, widely used in an abusive manner especially against children and teens who may be more focused on studies, while less popular, fashionable, or socially inclined.
[3]The term geek is often used interchangeably with the term nerd, but geek has always had more negative connotations, perhaps due to its earlier association with carnival performers.[4]
From the urban dictionary:
One who passionately engages in one or more things to extreme levels. A commonly ascribed term to people in the field of computer programming, but one does not have to be in a technical field to be a geek. The only criteria is an intense level of interest in something, often to a highly specialized degree.
The term currently seems to be most used when referring to various fandoms. Whatever you do, never mention the
Endor Holocaust to a group of Star Wars geeks. It will become amazingly
convoluted.
Also from the urban dictionary which helps define the differences among these terms....
One of four titles used to classify someone based on their
technical and social skills. The other three titles are nerd, dork, and
normie. The difference between the four titles can be easily shown in table form:
................
Technical ...... Social
Title ............ Skills ......... Skills
---------- ---------------- ------------
Normie ......... No ............. Yes
Geek ........... Yes ............. Yes
Nerd ............ Yes ............. No
Dork ............ No .............. No
Normie: A normal person. Blah.
Geek: An outwardly normal person who has taken the time to learn technical skills. Geeks have as normal a social life as anyone, and usually the only way to tell if someone is a geek is if they inform you of their skills.
Nerd: A socially awkward person who has learned technical skills due to the spare time they enjoy from being generally neglected. Their technical knowledge then leads
normies to neglect them even further, leading to more development of their technical skills, more
neglection, etc. This
vicious cycle drives them even more into social oblivion.
Dork: A person who, although also socially awkward, doesn't have the intelligence to fill
the void with technical pursuits, like a nerd, and is forced to do mindless activities. Almost always alone. Usually with an XBox. Like playing Halo. All day. Every day. Not even understanding how the Xbox is making the pretty pictures on the screen. Very sad.
All this being said and given the traditional definition as supplied by @Anonymous I will offer my sincerest apologies to any member who may have been slighted or insulted by my terminology and specifically to @computergeek541 who has remained above the fray and is busy fulfilling his former official oracle sense of duty as a retiree and his dedication to the community that does not go un-noticed by this member nor others. Thank you for your good works it is appreciated if not always acknowledged.
If anyone wants to have a discussion about the Seinfeld "the soup guy" episode I will meet you in the lounge.....
Edit: I do want to point out I did not call anyone a geek i took a portion of a members username and turned it into a verb like I've been Cannonfoddered or something......
darlicious®
